September 24, 2013

I like having my science lesson plans (quick note style) on here that I am posting my Middle Ages lesson plans as well--at least for the first few weeks. I find that I don't lose my computer as easily as my scribbler. Quite helpful.

Middle Ages Day One:

Go to Julie's house and have a medieval feast and give the kids tunics and necklaces with color/animal heraldic symbolism and import. (I'll post pics of how this went later.)

Day Two:

Go over the 7 Knightly Virtues and putting on the Whole Armor of God (doesn't really need to be capitalized but thought it added a little something). This website is my reference: http://chivalrytoday.com/knightly-virtues/. Make an official pledge sheet to be signed that has a promise to live up to the chivalric code and keep on the armor of God--print on each child's heraldic color with a pic of their animal.

Day Three:

Read A Street Through Time, Medieval Warfare, pgs 7 - 11 in Story of the Middle Ages (not to be confused with Story of the World of which I'm not a big fan), and pg. 8 of the Atlas of the Medieval World (pretty sure it is my favorite reference book I've ever purchased).

Read Story of the Middle Ages pgs. 11-16, carefully look over map on page 16 and Atlas of the Medieval World pg. 10, The Byzantine Empire pgs. 1-26.

Show kids pics of Kami's mosaic bird (my sister Kami used to make mosaic art using little pieces of foil. I literally couldn't watch her painstakingly spread out the foil--I can't handle detail oriented stuff like that. I did, however, let her unwrap my Easter candy so I wouldn't wreck the foil. I'm a nice sister like that.)

start mosaic project

draw picture on plain paper

pick out cardstock

draw pic on cardstock

pick paint sample colors

glue on paint samples to make mosaic

Day Five:

Read The Byzantine Empire pgs. 27 - end.

read any books I can find on Byzantine architecture (do any of you know of any good books?? I'm having a hard time finding one)/Hagia Sophia

Read Iggy Peck, Architect

on graph paper, design a building

Talk about Attila the Hun

Day Six:

look at Atlas of the Medieval World pgs. 8-9

Read:

Story of the Middle Ages pgs. 19 - 29

The Elephant from Baghdad

10 Kings/Queens Who Changed the World, "Charlemagne"

"The Song of Roland," pg 35 in Favorite Medieval Tales (maybe read as bedtime story)

September 23, 2013

Have any of you ever felt like buying the supplies is the easy part of so much of homeschooling? I can buy the art supplies, no problem. But then, what to do with them? I don't know how to create any form of art and I loathe trying. Seriously, I was the kid in elementary school getting frustrated whenever there was an art or coloring assignment. Except maps--I love coloring maps because everything is so precise.

I continue to buy the art supplies and let me kids play around with them but every now and again I wish I had the capacity to really teach them something about creating art.

September 21, 2013

Our first field trip was to a metal-working shop. It was awesome. Our host is a jack-of-all-trades and his workshop is a trove of treasures. He was also extremely pleasant and authentically enjoyed the children. According to my friend, Julie, who set up the field trip, he's a fantastic primary teacher.

Emeline was the first child who tried welding. She wasn't scared at all and kept trying to get a second turn.

Emeline, Cowen, and Eli all tried welding. I tried to make sure Harriet kept her eyes closed and tried to ignore the risk of bodily harm as she ran up and down the pipes on the floor. She never fell.

Really, this was interesting stuff and if you know a person who works with metal, I highly recommend you take your kids to visit.

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Hello! I am a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of eight children (ages 13, 11, 10, 7, 5, 3, 1, and 8 months). In my previous existence I taught school--primarily history and English, but also ESL, and, during one bizarre year, math. I started teaching in a middle school where I discovered the hilarity of seventh graders and then later I moved to a high school and taught tenth and eleventh graders. I eventually switched again to the Education Department at Weber State University where I taught several ESL courses and a social studies methods course for elementary teachers. Writing curriculum is one of my passions. Sharing good books is another. Homeschooling--with all the frustration, fulfillment, frolic, and farce that it engenders--is another.